Automatic drive



Nov. 3, 1925- F. H. LIPPINCOTT AUTOMATIC DRIVE Filed March 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,1. (4 OFF/61.4

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Nov. 3, 1925- 1,560,267

F. H. LIPPINCOTT 'AUTOMATIC DRIVE Filed March 1, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JJNVENTOR: #Mflomw 7 'ATTORNEYS.

I Patented Nov. 3 1925.

UNITEDFV'S'TA'LIES PATENT OFFICE.

FISHER H. LIPPINGOTT, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

., auromarrc nnrv's.

'Applic'ation filed March 1, 1924. Serial No. 696,125.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FISHER H. LIPPINCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, countv of Philadelphia, State 5 of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Automatic Drive, of which the following is a specification.

Mv present invention comprehends a novel construction. and arrangement of an automatic drive wherein driving and driven friction elements are automatically controlled by means of centrifugally acting members in order to vary the power and speed relationship between the driving and the driven members, and wherein means are also provided to take up. and compensate for the wear of the friction elements incident to their use.

It further comprehends a novel construc-. tion and arrangement of driving and driven friction'discs, a novel construction of centrifugally controlled levers and novel means for mounting them, a novel construction and arrangement of mechanism for taking up wear, together with novel means for locking said mechanism in the position to which it has been adjusted.

In illustrating my invention, 1 have shown it in conjunction with a manually with, and the driven friction discs of the automatic control can be operatively .connected with the driven member or the driven shaft in any desired manner.

It-further comprehends anovel construction and arrangement of clutch drum which contributes with .the fly wheel and with an end closure to forman oil receiving chamber within which the automatically controlled friction elements are mounted.

It further consists ofother novel features of construction and advantage all as will be hereinafter fullyset forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings a typical embodiment thereof which is at present preferred by mesince this embodiment has been found in practice to give, satisfactory and reliable results. It.

is, however, to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited controlled clutch of the multiple disc friction type which, if desired, can be dispensed to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a section on line 11 ing my invention.

' Figure 2 represents a section on line 22 of Figure 4.

- Figure 3 represents a section on line 33 of Figure f.

Figure 4 represents an end elevation, partly broken away.

Figure 5 re resents a top plan view of one of the centrif g detached position.

Figure 6 represents a perspective view of the member seen in Figure 5.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

of Figure 4:, of an automatic drive, embodyugally controlled members in I proved in many features which will hereinafter clearly appear.

1 designates a driving member, which in practice may be the engine or driving shaft. 2 designates the driven member, which may be the driven shaft. The-driving member 1 is rovided with a head 3, to which is secured, by means of the fastening devices 4., a fly wheel5. The fly wheel 5,.at its'periphery, is provided with a laterally extendmg flange 6, to which is secured by means of fastening devices 7, an end ring or closure 8 which serves to secure in assembled position a clutch drum 9 It will thus be seen that the fly wheel 5, its flange 6, the end closure 8. and the clutch drum 9 contribute to form an, oil receiving chamber 10. Thef clutch drum 9 at one end portion is mounted on a shoulder 11 on the fly wheel .5, and near "its outer end is provided with a peripheral rib 12 forming a shoulder against which the end closure 8 bears to secure the clutch drum 9 in assembled'position. Apacking strip 13 is preferably employed between this rib 12 and the end closure drum '9 and these driven frictiondiscs are. disposed between the driving friction discs.

" The fly wheel 5 is provided with a de- "sired' number of driving pins or studs 14 which extend into the oil receiving chamber D -'10.and receive a set of driving discs 15, which are apertured, as at 16, in order-that Each friction disc of the set of driven fric- 3 tion discs 17 is recessed on opposite sides,

22 carried by the first of the' driving trio-- straight,

as at 19, in order to receive and position the I intermediate friction rings 20. l he driving friction disc, of the set of driving friction discs'15 which is nearest'to the fly wheel 5, is subjected to the action'of a desired num ber of springs 21 which surround the pins tion discs; The end closure 8 is preferably recessed, as at 23, in orderto ,IQCBIWG one end of springs 21, see Figure 2.

It will be seen from Figure 4 that I have illustrated eight of these springs 21-- and.

their adjunctsas being employed, and as being circumferentially spaced from each other. The springs 21, as seen in Figure 2, pass through apertures 24 in certain of the driving discs 15. '25 designates centriftionedin slots 26 in the set of. driving friction discs 15. The detailed construction of these levers will be best understood .by refend with a s'ubtantially rectangular shaped lug 27 having at its outer edge an outwardly extending elongated fulcrum '28.

The free endor forward end of .each lever hasxits outer face inwardly inclined or bevelled, as; at 29. and this end forms a.

Weighted end. The effective weight of each lever is reduced by an aperture 30 formed intermediate its ends. tom face of a lever 25 extending from the lug 27, which forms the fulcrum portion of the lever, is' preferably substantially crum portion formed by the lug 27- is received in a recess 32 formed in the inner face of the fly wheel 5, andthe flange 6,

is provided with a number of recesses 33 corresponding in number to the number of levers 25 employed, in .order' that. the desired stroke under centrifugal action will be permitted of said levers 25,

The-outer driving .friction.,disc of the set of driving friction discs 15 is engaged by the pressure transmittingheads 34 carried. by the plunger rods 35 each of which has a head 36 which is slidable within an inter- The botas indicated. at =31; The ful-- nally threaded nut 3 7, the nut 37 being pro- ..vided with an outwardly extending flange 38 which is recessed, as at 39, in order to pass partially over a pin-'40 carried .the end' closure plate 8. Springs 4l-j arejinterposed between the flanges 38 of the 'nuts 37' and the pressuretransmitting heads 34; of" i ner, for example, by means of pins 43', lock-.

ing members 44, inthe form of discs having recesses 45 in their peripheries. The longi-. 4 tudmal movement of screws 42 1S prevented by, the provision of inner flanges and the locking members'44. A locking member 46 isprovided in the form of a screw, the'head of which-when the screw is in place being received in a recess 45 OfltS respective locking member 44 to retain the screw 42 and thereby the nut 37 and its adjuncts in the position to which they have'been adjusted. It will thus be seen that the nut37 is capable of longitudinal movement, but itsrelative rotation with respect to its adjusting screw 42 is prevented. It will be seen that a clearance is provided between the pressure transinitting heads 34 and the ends of the nuts37 in which they are mounted, see morepar- "iticularl v Figures 1 and 3. r 'ugally fcontrolled levers which are posie The clutch drum 9 has keyed to its inner periphery, so as to be laterally movable thereon, a set'ef friction discs 47 which cooperate with a setof friction discs 48 which are keyed to an inner clutch .drum 49 so as to be laterally movable thereon. A

'third set .of friction discs50 is provided,

disposed between the friction discs 47 and 48. and may be loosely mounted or connected with either the friction discs 47 or the friction discs 48. Thesefri-ction'discs 47..

"48 and 50 contribute t6 form a manually controlled clutch 51 and are disposed between the flange 52 of the inner clutch drum and the flange 53 of the clutch disc 54 which latter forms a pressureqtransmitting disc,

and isprovided with a clutch collar 55 into which extend the clutch pins 56 of the .clutch arms 57 which are mounted on a rock I latter is also mounted a to which is connected the ends of the bolts 63 which pass through the reir end of the inner clutch drum :49 and through the A- spring 60 is provided which tends l clutch disc 54. Springs 64 are interposed between the follower ring 62 and the inner clutch drum 49.

designates an outer housing which is suitably apertured to permit the driving and driven members and the clutch levers to pass therethrough The inner periphery of the flange 6 is provided with the laterally extending pockets or recesses 66 which aid in distributing the lubricant contained within the oil receiving chamber 10.

The operation of the automatic drive will now be apparent to those skilled in this art and is as follows:

The springs 41 are set in their adjusted position in such a manner that the friction discs 15, 17 and 20 will not take hold when the centrifugally controlled levers 25 are in their normal position, as seen in Figure 1. mal position by springs 21 until the engine or driving shaft 1 reaches a predetermined speed. As the speed of the engine or, in other words, of the driving shaft 1, increases above the predetermined speed standard of the driving member, the levers 25 move outwardly, due tocentrifugal action, thereby causing their lugs 27 to effect the frictional grip between the'driving and driven friction discs 15 and 17, respectively, and intermediate discs 20.

As the speed of the driving members de creases orfalls to the predetermined standard of speed, the weighted ends of the levers 25 will move inwardly, thereby permitting the springs 21 to move the driving disc of the setof driving discs 15, laterally, and permits the release of the friction of the driving and driven friction discs of the automatic clutch. The manually controlled clutch 51 can be actuated at the will of the operator in the conventional manner which is well known in this art, and a detailed description of such operationis believed to be unnecessary. I

In order to provide for taking up wear of the friction elements of the automatic. clutch, the screws'46 are unscrewed and the discs 45 turned in a direct-ion to partially rotate their respective adjusting screws 42, thereby effecting lateral movement of their nuts 37 so that the proper take up for wear will be effected. The outward movement of the levers 25 under centrifugal action is limited by the flange 6 of the fly wheel 5. The resilient means employed for taking up wear is bodily adjustable without varying the tension of the springs .or in other words These levers are retained in their nor-' time come into contact with the nuts 13?. The discs ll preferably have their notches or recesses l5 consecutively numbered-so that it will indicate to the operator that all of the discs 44 and their adjuncts have thesame adjustment, It will be seen that when the tension of the resilient means 13 relieved the levers 25 can be manually inserted into between them as the speed of the driving member varies, and resilient 'means adjustable as to location without, varying its degree of resiliency, to limit lateral movement of said discs until the maximum strength of said resilient means is reached, said resilient means then permitting bodily movement of said discs until said levers complete their outward stroke.

2. In an automatic drive, a driving mem ber, a driven member, driving and driven friction discs contributing to form an operative engagement between said members,

,centrifugally controlled levers, each having an end portion disposed between sald driving member and one of said discs and'having a fulcrum in bearing engagement with said driving member, and means adjustable as to location without varying its resiliency to retain said lever engaging disc against said levers and thereby the fulcrums of said levers in operative engagement with said driving member when said levers are not under centrifugal action.

j 3. In an automatic drive, a driving member, a driven member, driving and driven friction discs contributing to form an opera-- tive engagement between said members, centrifugally controlled levers, each having an end portion disposed between saiddrivlng member and one of sa d discs and having a fulcrum in bearing engagement with said iti's adjustable as to location without varying its degree of resiliency.

Whenthe maximum strength of the springs 41 is reached, they compress and allow the weights 25 to move to their extreme outward positions. The pressure transmitting heads 34," preferably, do not at any driving member, ,resilient means to retain said lever engaging disc against said levers and thereby the fulcrums of said levers in operative engagement with said driving member when said leve's are not under centrifngal action, said levers being manually insertible into and removable from their fulcrumedposition when the tension of said resilient means is relieved.

1-. In an automatic drive, a driving memher, a driven member, driving and driven friction discs contributing to form an opertrifugally controlled levers to effect lateraldisplacement of said friction discs to automatically vary the degree of friction between'them as the speed of said driving member varies, resilient means adjustable as to location without varying its degree of resiliency and having a plurality of sets of being adjustable, to providev an adjustable abutment for its spring.

5. In. an automatic drive, a driving member, a driven member, driving and driven friction discs contributing to form an ope."-

ative connectionbetween said members, cendisplacement of said friction discs to automatically vary the degree of friction between them as the. speed of said driving member varies, resilient means. adjustable as. to location without varying its degree of resiliency and having a plurality of sets of relatively movable parts, a spring between parts of a set,- one part of a set resiliently opposing displacement of said discs by said.

levers, and the other part of a set being adjustable to provide an adjustable abutment.

for its spring, and means'to lock-the abutment forming parts in the positions to which they have been adjusted. I

6. In an automatic drive, 'a driving member, a driven member, driving and driven friction discs contributing toform an operative connection between said members, centrifugally controlled levers to effect lateral displacement of said friction discs to automatically vary the degree of friction tween them, as the speed of said driving member varies, resilient means having a plurality of sets of relatively movable parts, a-

spring between parts of a set, one part of a set resiliently opposing displacementof said discs by said levers, and the other-partpf a set being'adjustable to provide an ad ust able abutment for its spring, means to lock theabutm'ent forming parts in the positions to which they have been adjusted, said looking means having indicia to visibly indicate the adjustment, of said abutment forming" parts. i 4

7. In an. automatic drive, a driving member, a' driven member, driving and driven friction discscontributing to form an operative connection between saidjmember's, centrifugally controlled levers to effect lateral displacement of said friction. discs to auto- -matically vary the degree of friction 'between them, spring means opposing dis-- placement of said discs by said levers, and relatively movable parts, and a'spring be-- tween parts of a set, one part of a setresil iently opposing displacement of said discs by said levers, and tlie'other part of aset means to advance said' springs relatively to said discs to compensate for wear of the.

8. In an automatic drive, a driving mem- Y ber, a driven member, a set of driving and a set of driven friction discs contrib- 7 uting' to form an operative connection between said members, centrifugally .con-.

trolled means to effect displacement of said trifugally controlled levers to effect lateral friction discs to vary the degree of friction between them, pressure transmittingmembers co-operatingwith said discs, nuts nonrotatably mounted but capable of longituthreaded engagement with said nuts, springs between said, nuts and said pressure transmitting members, and means to lock said adjusting screws in their adjusted positions.

9..In an automatic drive, a drivmgmemher having bearings, a driven member, driving and driven friction discs-contributing to form an operative connection between said members. centrifugally controlled levers between said driving member and one.

of said discs and provided with fulcrums to engage said bearings, and resilient means to retainjsaidlevers in assembled position.

10.;In an automatic drive, a driving member, a ,driven member, driving and driven frictiondiscs contributing to form an opera tive connection between said members, centri-fugally controlled levers to effect lateral displacement of said friction discs, said levers having one end forming .a bearing fulcrum and being with said fulcrum bodily insertible into and removable from operative position, and resilient means to automatically retain said discs in declutched position until the driving member reaches a' prede termined speed.

' FISHER H. LIPP-INCOTT. 

